12-year-old beauty mogul: Drake Chung of Fresh Philippines

Gone are the days when the conversations and access to beauty and cosmetic products were caged in the limitations of age and gender. Today, the community has become more inclusive and welcoming for everyone. For 12-year-old Drake Anthony Tansipek Chung of local beauty brand Fresh Philippines, this is a field where he found his interest regardless of his age and gender. 

Drake grew up in a family of businessmen. His parents, Chris and Melody, are the minds behind Fresh Philippines—the maker of the viral local skincare products such as the Jeju Aloe Ice Cooling UV Sun Stick and the Fresh Tomato Glass Skin line. His early exposure to their business piqued his curiosity, which led him to develop an interest in everything around beauty—including skincare and perfumes. At 12, Drake is already playing an important role in the company and has already created a scent collection dedicated to men under Freshscent’s line. 

An athletic beauty mogul

In an exclusive interview, Drake took Manila Bulletin Lifestyle on a tour of his routine as an athletic young boy who loves to study and spends time inside the company’s laboratory.  At first look, Drake gives the impression of a shy, timid boy. Still, when he’s already wearing his lamé, he’s transforming into the champion fencer he is. Recently, he even qualified for an international fencing competition. When not inside the perimeter of the piste, Drake is a basketball varsity player at Domuschola International School in Pasig City. 

“My parents encouraged me to study well so in the future I can use the lessons they teach me,” he says. “They also put us through competitive sports, to teach us grit and to teach us how to control our emotions.”

After school and sports, Drake loves spending time in their company, especially in the laboratory where all his experiments and discoveries occur. 

“I started becoming interested in the family business a few years ago because I saw our chemist mixing fragrances and I got a whiff. I was like, ‘Oh, wow, that's the best thing I've ever smelled,’” Drake shares. “And then she taught me how [to mix materials] and that's actually where I learned how to make fragrances.” 

Passion for business

The grade seven student whose favorite subject is science also says that working in the laboratory is like a scientific experiment, and its method of mixing ingredients in order to create unique scents. His experimentations proved to be successful with the launch of Fresh Scentlab’s body mist for men collection. 

“My favorite part of creating fragrances is pleasing people with smell and discovering new scents,” Drake shares. 

Apart from heading the development of products in the scent division of their company, Drake is also hands-on when it comes to creating and testing new products. He shares that most of the company’s skincare products are manufactured in South Korea. His family visits the factories to ensure the quality of their products before releasing them to the Philippine market. 

“Going to Korean factories has really taught me and opened my eyes to how much effort is put into one singular product and that really amazes,” he says. “Also, visiting South Korea really taught me about new cultures and scents that other people from different countries like. I can use that to make Fresh more for everyone, instead of just for Filipinos.” 

The scent of the future

When asked if he ever had unpleasant experiences dealing with his peers because of his interest in beauty and fragrances, Drake admitted that there were some instances. But as a businessman, he knows he can do something to break the stigma. 

“Some people say that skincare is for girls. It's very girly. It's not for boys. Same for fragrances. But I think that's a misconception,” he says. “For me, skincare specifically Fresh can be for everyone and for anyone. I think it's your choice of what you want to do with your body and your life. It doesn't matter what people think of you. What matters is what you think of yourself.”

In the future, with his family's guidance, Drake is looking forward to taking on more responsibilities in their family business and creating unique fragrances for everyone. 

“My parents taught me the importance of respect. Everyone deserves respect no matter who they are, what they do in life. Treat them with respect,” he shares. “Even though you're young, you can push for your dreams because I think anything is possible if you put your mind to it. And always remember to behave and listen to your parents.”